Summek
The Summeks are one of the four dominant races that make up the Imperial Congress and have a controlling interest in the galaxy. Small, but clever and swift, Summeks have a reputation for being thieving cheats who would do anything to gain the upper hand, beit at a card game or a battle. They are easily underestimated because of their deminuitive size, but there is no doubt that they are stunning tacticians that specialize in surprising their foe with unexpected tricks and ploys. Things are never quite as they seem with the Summeks. They are often described by humans as oversized, mutated rodents, a description they are not fond of. Physiology Physical Description Whether the Summeks are fond of it or not, the comparison of their physique to rodents is not so far off base, as least at first glance. Summeks are short, with hunched backs and a stooped spine that allows them to scamper on all fours as easily as walking on two. They have no necks to speak of, but simply have an elongated snouts with low slung jaws filled with teeth that protrudes directly from their shoulders. They have tiny eyes that look out from thick, bony ridges, that give them a squinting look as well as a perpetual scowl. AT the base of their jaw on either side of their head are two appendages that can extend outwards about six inches past the edge of their snout. These nimble appendages are mostly used to assist the Summek in eating, but are also used a great deal for body language forms of communication. In addition to these appendages, Summeks also have a long, prehensile tongue that is deceptively strong. This tongue can stretch about two feet out of their mouths, and is capable of fine motor functions. The tongue is very muscular, though not as strong as their arms as it has no skeletal support. This pseudo-limb is heavily used, however, by Summeks for light objects that they wish to carry, and often use it when manipulating small objects they do not wish to inadvertently damage. It should be noted that Summeks communicate using muscles within the throat to form noises, thus not having use of the tongue does not prevent them from talking. On top of their head they have two thick, leathery ears that stand erect. They are quite fond of piercing their ears and putting in fancy and bright rings. The Summeks have four digits on each hand, three thin fingers and a thick opposeable thumb. The palms of their hands and area around their faces are the only places that they do not have fur. The fur that they do grow is quite soft and downy when the Summek is young, but the fur grows thicker and stiffer as the Summek ages. The Summeks also have a three foot tail stretching from the base of their spine outwards. The tail is covered in fur and terminates in a tuft of longer fur. The tail is also capable of prehensile gripping, although not to the extent or delicacy of their tongue. Physiological features While the Summeks appear mostly mammalian in shape, there are some notable differences between them and most mammals. Summeks grow teeth the way most mammals grow hair. Their teeth are numerous and grow continuously, meaning they have to be filed down unless the Summek chew on a hard enough substance. Psychology To understand anything about Summeks or their society, one must look first at the driving forces behind them. Psychologically, there seems to be much less of a gap from Summek to Summek than there are between other races. While personalities do vary, it is quite rare to see one that really has different motivations. These motivations are simplistic to understand, but lead to a whole myriad of complex behaviors. There are three laws which govern not only their legal system, but all their actions. These premises might be some what cultural, but they also seem to be deeply ingrained in one form or another within all Summeks. The First Tenant Don't get caught. If one can prove that a Summek is guilty of breaching a law or agreement, that Summek must make amends for the crime of being caught. The Second Tenant Respect the Might Greater than Your Own. This respect is not necessarily loyalty, as loyalty is a relatively rare trait among the Summeks, but it is respect never the less. This usually means some sort of service is required. The Final Tenant Use your Power Wisely, or it will be Taken by One More Worthy. Despite the stereotypes and reputations that circulate the galaxy, the Summeks are not just empty power grabbers that seek power at any cost. They do, actually, try to wield their acquired power responsibly. Unfortunately, that word has a very different meaning for the Summeks than it does for the rest of the galaxy. Typically, Summeks try to take good care of those inside their sphere of power, though this idea can vary greatly as well. A side note worth mentioning about the Summeks is their racial infatuation with the color red. They believe that this is a color of fortune, virility, and strength. red clothing almost always denotes a Summek who has position of authority, and a Summek who is born with red eyes is guaranteed to receive much more respect than he might otherwise receive. Sociology Summek social arrangement can most easily be described as feudal and ruled by might. The strongest are expected to take control of the weaker until such time as one stronger comes along. They will always rise as high as possible within their own circle of power until they reach the point where trying to go higher is too risky. They are extremely social creatures, often living in large groups or "clutches", and seem to take great pleasure in conversation; giving rise to their reputation of being chatty. They way a clutch is organized is almost identical to the way their entire racial government is organized, only on a smaller scale. The most dominant male (or, on occasion, female) will rise to the top of the power structure and become to the alpha. The alpha has first run of mates and also determines the arrangement of all of those under him or her. Within larger clutches, smaller organizations of Summeks often form with their own alphas, who are answerable to the prime alpha. For more information about their governing body, see the Archlord's Demesne. Technology The Summek are crafty at war, be it in the dead of space, or on the surface of the place. Their stock and trade is information and stealth devices. While true stealth has been determined to be nearly impossible (for it is impossible for something to absorb all forms of energy without casting a shadow), the Summeks have designed devices and ships that are difficult to detect, some of them extremely so. They rely mostly on the element of surprise and superior tactics over brute force, which might seem counter-intuitive to their "might makes right" ways, but they would much rather win a battle taking few casualties, thus preserving their strength. Their most infamous ship is the Spire class frigate, a fast and deadly ship that combines numerous scanner countermeasures and light absorbing armor to sneak up and deliver lethal blows to enemy ships before they are even detected. Smugglers often make good use of Summek technology, especially scanner jammers and other such spy related equipment. The Summek are not are not shy about sharing their technology, as long as there's something in it for them. Category:Nowhere Bound Universe